Understanding Cultural Difference in Three Words: Elisa Hörhager at TEDxStrasbourgUniversite

TEDx Talks

9 Jun 201313:38

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this enlightening talk, the speaker explores the intricate relationship between language and culture, using Chinese as a lens. She delves into the profound meanings behind Chinese characters, illustrating how they reflect historical and cultural contexts. The discussion extends to the impact of language learning on memory and identity, highlighting the transformation of the speaker's own memory and dreamscape after immersing in Chinese. The talk also touches on cultural perspectives on individuality, community, and love, contrasting Western and Chinese views on these concepts. Finally, it emphasizes the transformative power of language learning, offering a fresh perspective on personal growth and cultural understanding.

Takeaways

🌐 The script discusses the cultural significance of Chinese characters and their evolution over time, emphasizing the importance of understanding their historical and poetic meanings.
🔍 The character 'xiang', meaning 'to miss someone', is used as an example to illustrate the connection between Chinese characters and their cultural and historic context, highlighting the integration of a heart, tree, and eye in its composition.
📚 The 'I Jing' or 'Book of Changes' is referenced to explain the historical usage and combination of characters that contribute to the current understanding of words in the Chinese language.
🧠 The speaker shares personal experiences of how learning Chinese has impacted their memory and dreams, suggesting that language learning can alter cognitive processes and neural pathways.
🏆 The script raises the question of why Chinese individuals have won relatively few Nobel Prizes, suggesting that cultural differences in the perception of individual achievement and contribution to the group may be a factor.
👥 The concept of individuality in Chinese culture is explored through the character for 'I' or 'me', indicating a sense of contribution to the group rather than individual prominence.
🍽️ Eating habits in China are highlighted to demonstrate the importance of community and shared experiences, with the act of eating alone carrying a negative connotation of selfishness.
💑 The Chinese concept of love is contrasted with Western notions, suggesting that love in China is more about living together as a family and growing in value over time, rather than the initial intensity of romantic love.
🤝 The character representing love is dissected to show the integration of the ideas of family, heart, and friendship, emphasizing the communal and enduring aspects of love in Chinese culture.
🗣️ The script discusses a unique way Chinese couples may handle conflict, using the silent treatment as a form of resolution without directly addressing the issue, reflecting the power of words and communication in emotional expression.
🌈 The final takeaway is a metaphorical image of the self as a tapestry woven from various cultural strands, with language learning offering the opportunity to re-weave one's identity in a new and authentic pattern.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speech given by the speaker?
-The main theme of the speech is exploring the cultural and historical contexts embedded in the Chinese language and how learning a new language can influence our memory, perspective, and understanding of emotions.
Why does the speaker believe that Chinese characters can sometimes be misleading in their simplicity?
-The speaker believes that Chinese characters can be misleading because, although some characters like the one for 'water' are simple pictographs, many others have profound and poetic meanings that are deeply rooted in their cultural and historical context, which may not be immediately apparent.
What is the significance of the character 'xiang' in the script and how is it related to the 'I Jing'?
-The character 'xiang' means 'to miss someone' and is composed of three parts: 'heart', 'tree', and 'eye'. It is related to the 'I Jing' (Book of Changes), where a sentence combines the words for 'tree' and 'eye', which have since been used in various Chinese words to convey the meaning of 'to see'.
How does the speaker describe the impact of learning Chinese on their memory?
-The speaker describes developing a photographic memory while learning Chinese, remembering words by how they looked on the page, and experiencing changes in their dreamscape, indicating neurological and psychological changes in the brain when learning a new language.
What is the speaker's perspective on the rarity of Chinese Nobel Prize winners and what example do they provide?
-The speaker suggests that the rarity of Chinese Nobel Prize winners is not due to a lack of innovation but rather a different perspective on individual achievement and contribution to the group, exemplified by a story about a Chinese research team that developed synthetic insulin and listed 230 names for the nomination.
How does the speaker interpret the character representing 'I' or 'me' in terms of individual contribution to the group?
-The speaker interprets the character for 'I' or 'me' as an individual who contributes to the group, either by working for the group or protecting it, as indicated by the components of the character: a hand grasping and an ax, which can be a tool or a weapon.
What cultural significance does the speaker attribute to the act of eating together in China?
-The speaker attributes a strong cultural significance to eating together in China, stating that it is a responsibility, a way of taking care of others, and a prerequisite to experiencing culinary pleasures, reflecting the importance of community and shared experience.
How does the speaker explain the concept of love in Chinese culture as depicted by the character for 'love'?
-The speaker explains that the concept of love in Chinese culture, as shown by the character for 'love', is about living together as a family and a feeling that becomes more valuable over time, as opposed to the Western notion of romantic love being special at the beginning.
What is the unique way of fighting that the speaker describes as common among Chinese couples?
-The speaker describes a unique way of fighting among Chinese couples called '几天不说话' (jǐ tiān bù shuō huà), which means not speaking to each other for several days, essentially giving the silent treatment, and then resuming normal interactions without discussing the issue.
What message does the speaker convey in the conclusion about the transformative power of learning a new language?
-In the conclusion, the speaker conveys that learning a new language is not just acquiring a professional skill but an opportunity for personal change, allowing individuals to untangle and reweave their personalities in new and authentic patterns, potentially leading to different ways of dreaming, eating, and loving.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Cultural Exploration Through Language

The speaker, Robert Tucker, reviewed by Ariana Bleau Lugo, introduces the concept of exploring cultural traces within language, specifically Chinese. He discusses the misconception that Chinese characters are simple pictographs, using the character for 'water' as an example. He then delves into the deeper, poetic meanings of Chinese characters, referencing their historical and cultural contexts. The character 'xiang', meaning 'to miss someone', is broken down to illustrate this point, with its components traced back to the 'I Jing' or 'Book of Changes'. The speaker also touches on how learning Chinese has impacted his memory and dreams, suggesting a neurological and psychological transformation associated with language acquisition.

05:01

🏆 The Concept of Individuality and Achievement

This paragraph examines the cultural differences in recognizing individual achievements, using the anecdote of a Chinese research team's missed Nobel Prize opportunity due to the collective nature of their recognition. The speaker reflects on the implications this has on concepts like intellectual property in China. The character for 'I' or 'me' is dissected, suggesting that individual identity in Chinese culture is inherently tied to group contribution. The social norms around eating in China are highlighted to emphasize the importance of communal activities and their impact on individual identity and group harmony. The round shape of Chinese tables and the practice of轮流买单 (taking turns to pay the bill) are given as examples of communal responsibility and continuity in relationships.

10:03

💞 Understanding Love Across Cultures

The speaker explores the cultural nuances of love, challenging the notion of its universality by comparing Western and French perspectives with Chinese attitudes towards expressing affection. In China, the concept of love is more about living together as a family and valuing the relationship over time, rather than the initial romantic spark. The character for love is explained, with its components reflecting a sense of unity and mutual support within a family structure. The speaker also discusses the rapid progression from meeting to marriage in Chinese relationships and the absence of splitting bills, indicating a strong association with the concept of oneness in a family unit. The paragraph concludes with an observation on the Chinese practice of giving the silent treatment during arguments, suggesting a unique emotional expression influenced by language and cultural communication styles.

🧶 The Weaving of Personalities Through Language Learning

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker metaphorically describes the process of language learning as a loom, where one's personality is the fabric woven from various cultural and linguistic threads. The image of threads on a loom represents the complex interplay of identity formation through cultural and linguistic experiences. The speaker emphasizes that learning a new language is not merely acquiring a skill but an opportunity for personal transformation. Drawing from his own experiences as a German-American living in France and China, he illustrates how language and cultural immersion can reveal new facets of one's personality. The talk ends with an encouragement to embrace language learning as a gateway to new ways of perceiving the world, including dreaming, eating, and loving.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Chinese Characters

Chinese characters are the written form of the Chinese language, often pictographic in nature, representing simple pictures of the objects they denote. In the video, the speaker uses the character for 'water' as an example to illustrate this, noting that it visually resembles water. The concept is central to the video's theme of exploring cultural traces within language.

💡Cultural Context

Cultural context refers to the historical and social background that shapes the meaning and use of language. The video discusses how many Chinese characters have profound and poetic meanings that are deeply rooted in their cultural and historic context, such as the character 'xiang' which means 'to miss someone' and is composed of elements that relate to a story from the 'I Ching' or 'Book of Changes'.

💡Photographic Memory

Photographic memory is a term used to describe the ability to recall images or scenes with extreme accuracy and detail. The speaker in the video mentions developing a photographic memory for Chinese characters, which is an example of how learning a new language can alter one's memory processes and contribute to the overarching theme of the video about the neurological impact of language learning.

💡Dreamscape

Dreamscape refers to the environment or setting of one's dreams. The video speaker notes a change in their dreamscape after beginning to dream in Chinese, suggesting a psychological change influenced by language learning. This illustrates the video's theme of how language can affect not just cognitive processes but also one's subconscious experiences.

💡Individuality

Individuality is the quality of being a separate and distinct entity. The video discusses the concept of individuality in the context of Chinese culture, contrasting it with Western notions. The speaker uses the example of the Chinese research team and the Nobel Prize to highlight a cultural emphasis on collective achievement over individual recognition, which is a key point in the discussion of cultural differences.

💡Harmony

Harmony, in the context of the video, refers to the balance and concord within a group or society, often emphasized in Chinese culture. The speaker mentions harmony as a political context where individual achievement is seen in relation to the group, reflecting the video's theme of cultural values embedded within language.

💡Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property rights are legal rights to creations of the mind, such as inventions or literary and artistic works. The video touches on the difficulty of establishing these rights in China, which relates to the broader concept of individual contribution and recognition within a collective society, a theme that runs throughout the video.

💡Eating Together

Eating together is a social practice that signifies communal bonding and shared responsibility. In the video, the speaker contrasts the Chinese practice of never eating alone with Western habits, using the term '吃独食' (chī dú shí) to illustrate the cultural significance of communal dining and its role in expressing care for others, which is integral to the video's exploration of cultural norms.

💡Love

Love, in the video, is presented as a complex emotion with varying cultural interpretations. The speaker discusses the Chinese concept of love as being more about living together as a family and growing in value over time, as opposed to the Western notion of romantic love that is often associated with initial passion. This concept is used to highlight the diversity of emotional expressions across cultures.

💡Silent Treatment

The silent treatment refers to the act of deliberately not speaking to someone as a form of expression or punishment. The video describes a Chinese couple's use of this method during disagreements, lasting for several days, which underscores the video's theme of how language and communication styles are influenced by cultural norms.

💡Personality

Personality is the set of distinctive characteristics and qualities that make up an individual. The video concludes with a metaphor of personality as threads on a loom, suggesting that learning a new language can help one to re-weave their personality in a new cultural context. This metaphor encapsulates the video's message about the transformative power of language learning.

Highlights

The search for cultural traces in language can help overcome cultural differences.

Chinese characters often have profound and poetic meanings rooted in their cultural and historical context.

The character 'xiang', meaning 'to miss someone', is composed of a heart, tree, and eye, with a historical reference to the 'I Jing'.

Learning a new language can change memory and lead to a photographic memory of how words looked on the page.

Dreams can change in language and setting after intensive language study and immersion.

Language is fundamental to memory, and learning a new language provides a new way of remembering and perceiving memories.

Chinese culture often emphasizes collective achievement over individual recognition, as seen in Nobel Prize nominations.

The character for 'I/me' reflects the concept of an individual contributing to the group, either through work or protection.

Eating alone in China is seen as egotistical, emphasizing the importance of communal dining and care for others.

Chinese dining tables are often round to symbolize togetherness and the act of paying for a group meal reinforces communal relationships.

The Chinese notion of love involves living together as a family and valuing the relationship more over time, contrasting with Western concepts of romantic love.

Many Chinese couples do not express love verbally, and being too romantic can seem insincere.

The character for love in Chinese includes elements of a hand, a roof, a heart, and friendship, symbolizing a family living together.

Chinese couples may marry quickly after meeting and do not split bills, viewing love and family as one unified concept.

Some Chinese couples resolve conflicts through '几天不说话' (not speaking for several days), reflecting a unique way of dealing with emotions.

Words and language influence individual emotions and should be handled with care, similar to material objects.

Learning a new language is an opportunity for personal change and can lead to different ways of dreaming, eating, and loving.

The speaker's experience of living in different cultures and switching languages reveals slightly new aspects of their personality.

Transcripts

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